Folding support for cameras.



No. 694,862. Patented Mar. 4, I902.

D. H. HOUSTON.

FOLDING SUPPORT FOR CAMERAS.

(Application filed lab. 8, 1901.)

(No Model.)

.eren'ce denote similar parts.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID IIEXDERSON HOUSTON, OF HUNTER, NORTH DAKOTA.

FOLDING SUPPORT FOR CAMERAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,862, dated March 4, 1902.

I Application filed February 8, 1901. Serial No. 46,526. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID HENDERSON HOUSTON, a citizen of the United States, residi at Hunter, in the county of Cass and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Supports for Cameras; and I do declare the following tobe a f ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to .make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Myiuvention relates to foldingsupports for extending and supperting the front and bellows of folding photographic cameras.

The object of my invention is to provide folding supports suitable for projecting the frontsof folding cameras to a position that will allow the lens carried in the front of the camera to be in a position to be in focus on the sensitized plate or filmin the camera. My folding snpportsare arranged and adapted to be used in extending the bellows and supporting the front and bellows of the camera. The invention consists in the noyel construction and combination of the'several parts, as

out in theolaims.

In the drawings similar characters of; refwill be hereinafter fully serforth, and-pointed Figure .1 is a top plan view of a camera, showing my folding supports connected" to.- getherand extended in position to support the front of the camera and the bellows. Fig. 2 is a front view ofthe oamera shown in Fig. 1, showing the camera folded, the folding supports being shown folded into the camera-casing to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. 4 J

A indicates the camera-casing; B, the camera-front; C, the bellows connecting the camera-front to the camera-casing; D, the folding supports; E, dotted lines showing the position of the folding supports when they are folded into the camera-casing; F, stops against which the. folding supports rest when the said folding supports are fully extended; G, dotted lines showing the position of the light-excluding divisions in the camera-casing, to which divisions the inner end of the bellows is shown by dotted lines to be attached; H,

dottedcircles showing the position of the supports are pivoted; Y, double lines showing where the casing separates to open the camera.

My invention is intended for use in connection with any style of camera that may be adapted to combine to advantage with my improved folding supports herein specified, and any method of pivoting the front ends of my folding supports to any camera-front may be adopted that is suitable for the purpose, and also any method ofpivoting the back ends of my folding supports to any cameracasing may be adopted that is suitable. The front and rear ends being suitably pivoted in prope position, then the knee-joints will fold inwand, as shown at the dotted lines in the drawings, Fig. 1, and when the foldingsupports are extended outward to their full limit the stops (indicated by the dotted lines at F) limit the outward movement of the folding supports and so make a positive position for the folding supports to occupy when fully extended. To fold the front and bellows to ward or into the camera-casing, it is simply necessary to slightly press the folding supports inward at their rear knee-joints and then press inward upon the camera-front. Then the folding supports will assume the position shown at the dotted lines in Fig. 1. Toextend the camera-bellows and front of the camera. forward, simply pull out the cams era-front and then press the folding supports against the stops shown by the dotted lines F.

. Having fully described my' invention, I claim- 1. Combined with a folding camera, four folding supports pivoted respectively to the inner side of the camera-casing and to the came Ira-front, said folding supports each composed of a long and a short member and each m. at

vhaying aknee j'oint adapted to bend inward,

and fold into the interiorof the'camera-casfing substa'ntia'lly as shown.

2, Combined witha folding camera, four folding-supports pivoted respectively to the' Inner side of the camera-casing and to the camera-front, said folding supports each composed of a long and a short member and each having a knee-joint adapted to bend inward,' and stops on the carnera e'asing. adapted to stop the-folding supports in line when extended. v

3. Combined w ith'a folding camera, four pivoted foldin g supports connecting the camera-front to the camera-casing,the said folding supports each composed of a long and a short member and each having a knee-joint adapted to bend inward and allow the said I supports together with the camera-front and r extensible bellows to all fold into the interior of the camera-casing, and stops on the camera-casing adapted to stop the said folding supports inline when extended.

4. Combined with a folding camera, fourpivoted folding supports, said folding supports each composed of along and a short member and each haviug'a knee-joint adapted to bend inward; said long members pivoted to the camera-casing equidistant'from the .center'of the said casing, the short memberspivoted to the camera-front equidistant of the camera-casing, said long and short members pivoted in positions on the camera adaptedto allow of said long and short mem:

'bers to fold into the camera-oasin'g.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID HENDERSON HOUSTON. v

Witnesses: V 1 WM. H, DELACY, V R. A. BALDE'RsoN. 

